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Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields: Round-by-Round Breakdown

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February 26, 2012

February 26, 2012
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Marc Goddard is the third man for Sexyama's first welterweight fight.

Round 1: No glove touch for these two, a pre-fight bow sufficed. Akiyama in a slightly altered stance. Shields closes in and goes for the takedown; he's denied. Shields doing pretty much his normal dance, using strikes to set up the takedown. Shields snatches a single and walks Akyiama across the cage. Akiyama shows an awesome base in repelling Shields' sustained assault.

Akiyama turns Shields into the fence, but Shields breaks away. Akiyama pressuring Shields on the feet, ignoring his kicks and punches. Shields dives for another takedown that Akiyama avoids. Shields lands a pair of nice left body kicks. Akiyama with a hard right uppercut. Shields dives for yet another takedown and briefly trips Akyiama to the mat. Akiyama pops up and Shields is right on him, grating him into the wall. Shields lands a knee low and Akiyama tries to get a break, but Goddard doesn't stop them.

Shields with double underhooks, trying to take Akiyama's back. Shields gets behind him standing and tries to drag him to the mat. Akiyama spins right out of it, sending Shields headfirst into the cage. Shields landing his jab and inside leg kicks, but Akiyama doesn't seem too worried by them. Akiyama hits a beautiful trip to plant Shields on the mat and another as he scrambles away. Shields puts some nice jabs together as he breaks away. Akiyama tries for another trip, but Shields avoids.

FightLine scores the round 10-9 for Akiyama

Round 2: Shields with the left switch kick. Akiyama easily stuffs a takedown and threatens with the trip again. Shields landing the jab, but Akiyama is showing it no respect. Akiyama lands a spinning backfist and defends another takedown. Shields fighting back. He dives for yet another takedown that Akiyama shucks off. Shields the more active of the two on the feet this round, Akiyama possibly tiring. Akiyama tries to fire off a hard kick of his own, but Shields catches it and threatens to take him down.

Shields may not be damaging Akiyama that badly, but he's definitely landing more at this point. Akiyama lands a hard leg kick. Shields frequently taking looks at the clock. Akiyama takes Shields for a big ride with another brilliant throw. Shields scrambles out and dives for a takedown of his own, but Akiyama denies him. Shields again working to take Akiyama's back standing as the round winds down. Akiyama defending well, Shields pressuring until the bell.

FightLine scores the round 10-10

Round 3: Shields pressuring, Akiyama hanging in the pocket and landing one-shot counters. Shields with some solid leg kicks. Akiyama lands a hard uppercut from the clinch, but his output has slowed and Shields has increased. Shields goes for a deep double, but Akiyama defends it deftly and turns Shields into the cage. As Goddard warns them to work, Akiyama breaks away. Shields bloodied from the nose. Shields landing the majority of the strikes now. Shields goes for the shot again and very briefly gets Akiyama down. He stays on him as Akiyama gets to his feet, pressing him against the cage.

After a brief period of clinching against the fence, Goddard separates them, to the visible anger of Shields. Akiyama swinging away, bit Shields takes him down and gets his back, despite Akiyama's scrambling and repeated fence grabbing. Shields staying on Akiyama's back as the round closes, working for the rear naked choke. Akiyama makes it to the bell, but barely.